Was I shopping for one? No, not really. But I can't turn down a good deal, and gadget rebates are a huge temptation, much like passing a department store with a huge sale sign.

The thing is, I love them when there's a rebate on something I was already planning to buy — it's like icing on the cake. But sometimes a rebate is all I need to get my credit card out (bad habit, I know). That said, I've never been shopping for a gadget and had my heart set on a brand when a fabulous rebate swayed me the other direction.

What about you? Do rebates sway you into a buying a certain brand or product?

I hate rebates. When we got our refrigerator, only the city gave us our rebate; Sears never gave us our rebate. No wonder people don't send them in, good luck getting them when you do. Rebates suck, that's why I would specifically seek out products that DON'T have rebates!

Rebates are horrible for the consumer. We always look at the price AFTER the rebate, but some huge percentage of people never send them in. I read something in the last few months that in California, there is some proposed legislation that would force the retailer to give the after rebate price when the customer buys the item and then the store has to apply for the rebate for itself. I think it's a great idea.